The present invention relates to a new and distinct variety of petunia plant obtained from crossing `Revolution Purplepink` (.female.) and one petunia plant (.male.) having white color petal which was selected from twice backcrossing of a wild type of petunia native to Brazil as mother plant and `Recoverer White` as pollen parent.
Petunia is a very popular plant and is used for flower bedding and potting in the summer season. There are only a few varieties of the petunia plant which do not have an upright growth habit and which have a high resistance to rain, heat, drought and cold. Accordingly, this invention was aimed at obtaining a new variety of decumbent habit petunia plant having long stems and large blooms, pink petal color, the bush remaining in bloom for a considerable period of time, and a high resistance to rain, heat, drought and cold.
The new variety of petunia plant according to this invention originated from a crossing of `Revolution Purplepink`, which is a petunia plant bred by the present inventors, as the female parent and one petunia plant (.male.) having white color petal which was selected from twice backcrossing of a wild type of petunia native to Brazil as mother plant and `Recoverer White` as pollen parent, in June, 1988 at the Yachiyo Farm of KEISEI ROSE NURSERIES, Inc., residing at 755 Owadasinden, Yachiyo-shi, Chiba-ken, Japan. From this crossing, 350 seedlings were obtained in 1989, from which 5 desired seedlings were selected, propagated by cutting, and then grown as a trial by flower bedding and potting in planters. Only one of the 5 resulting plants was selected, as the most desirable one. The botanical characteristics of the finally-selected plant were then examined, using a comparative variety, female parent `Revolution Purplepink`, for comparison, from the spring of 1990. As a result, it was concluded that this petunia plant is clearly distinguishable from the comparative variety in flower color, while maintaining beneficial characteristics thereof, and it is further distinguishable from any other variety, whose existence is known to us, and this new variety of petunia plant was named `Revolution Pastelpink`.
In the following description, the color-coding is in accordance with The Horticultural Color Chart of The Royal Horticulatural Society, London, England (RHS Color Chart), and the Japan Color Standard for Horticultural Plant (JHS Color Chart).
The female parent, `Revolution Purplepink` (see, U.S. Plant Pat. No. 6,915), which originated from a crossing of a wild type of petunia (.female.) native to Brazil and `Recover White` (.male.), is presently maintained at the aforementioned Yachiyo Farm of the KEISEI ROSE NURSERIES, Inc., and Plant Biotechnology Laboratory, Institute for Fundamental Research of SUNTORY Ltd., and is world wide marketed. The main botanical characteristics of this female parent are as follows.
Plant: PA0 Stem: PA0 Leaf: PA0 Flower: Opening obliquely upward. PA0 Physiological and ecological characteristics: High resistance to rain, heat and drought. Also high resistance to disease, particularly gray mold (Botrytis). Moderate resistance to pest. PA0 Plant: PA0 Stem: PA0 Leaf: PA0 Flower: Opening obliquely upward. PA0 Physiological and ecological characteristics: High resistance to rain, heat, and disease, and moderate resistance to pest.
Growth habit.--Decumbent. The stems hang down when potted in a hanging pot. PA2 Plant height.--15-20 cm. PA2 Spreading area of plant.--The stem extends to a length of 50-80 cm from the base, and thus the spreading area of the plant is 100-150 cm in diameter. PA2 Growth.--Very vigorous with abundant branching, a great profusion of blooms; the whole bush remaining in bloom for a considerable period of time. PA2 Blooming period.--Late March to late September, in the southern Kanto area, Japan. The plant shape does not change throughout this period. PA2 Thickness.--Main stem 4.0-6.0 mm; lateral stem 2.0-3.0 mm. PA2 Color.--Strong to moderate yellow green (RHS 144B - 143C, JHS 3512-3710). PA2 Pubescence.--Normal. PA2 Branching.--Over-abundant. PA2 Length of internode.--1.0-1.5 cm before blooming; 3.0-4.0 cm during blooming. PA2 Phyllotaxis.--Verticillate before blooming; opposite during blooming. PA2 Shape.--Lanceolate. PA2 Size (average).--7.5-8.0 cm.times.2.5-3.0 cm, large. PA2 Thickness.--0.5-0.7 mm. PA2 Color.--Moderate yellow green (RHS 146B - 137D, JHS 3508 - 3712). PA2 Pubescence.--Normal. PA2 Type.--Single. PA2 Shape.--Funnel-shape, with five-fissured limb. PA2 Diameter.--8.0-9.0 cm, large. PA2 Petal color.--In the unopened stage (bud), deep to moderate purple (RHS 86A - 83A, JHS 8307 - 8306); when open, vivid reddish purple (RHS 74A, JHS 9207); at full bloom, vivid reddish purple (RHS 71D - 74 B, JHS 9206 - 9207), with strong reddish purple (RHS 72B, JHS 9208) lines radiating from a small brilliant purple (RHS 82C, JHS 8611) area closely proximate to a pale to light yellow green (RHS 4D-145C, JHS 3310 - 3103) center portion. The small area completely surrounds the center portion. The reverse side of the petal is a light purple color (RHS 75B, JHS 8903). The petal has a somewhat metallic luster. PA2 Reproductive organs.--1 normal pistil having a grayish yellow green (RHS 138A, JHS 3715) stigma, and 5 normal stamens each having a moderate blue (RHS 98B - 98C, JHS 8305) anther and a purple yellow green (RHS 145D, JHS 3502) filament. PA2 Peduncle.--2.0 mm in thickness, and 2.0-2.5 cm in length. PA2 Growth habit.--Upright. PA2 Plant height.--30-40 cm. PA2 Spreading area of plant.--25-30 cm in diameter. PA2 Blooming period.--April to September in the southern Kanto area, Japan. PA2 Thickness.--Main stem 5.0-7.0 mm; lateral stem 2.5-4.5 mm. PA2 Color.--Strong yellow green (RHS 144B - 144 C, JHS 3512 - 3513). PA2 Branching.--Abundant. PA2 Pubescence.--Normal. PA2 Length of internode.--2.0.varies.3.0 cm before blooming; 2.0-4.0 cm during blooming. PA2 Phyllotaxis.--Verticillate before blooming; opposite during blooming. PA2 Shape.--Oval. PA2 Size (average).--4.5-5.0 cm.times.2.5-3.0 cm. PA2 Thickness.--0.4-0.6 mm. PA2 Petal color.--Strong yellow green to moderate olive green (RHS 144A - 146A, JHS 3507 - 3508). PA2 Pubescence.--Few. PA2 Type.--Single. PA2 Shape.--Funnel-shape, with five-fissuered limb. PA2 Diameter.--8.0-8.5 cm. PA2 Petal color.--In the unopened stage (bud), pale yellow green (RHS 4D - 157A, JHS 3304 - 3303); both when open and at full bloom, greenish white (RHS 155D - 155C, JHS 3701). PA2 Reproductive organs.--1 normal pistil having a strong yellow green (RHS 144B - 144C, JHS 3512) stigma, and 5 normal stamens each having a pale yellow (RHS 161D, JHS 2503) anther and a greenish white (RHS 157D, JHS 3501) filament. PA2 Peduncle.--1.5-2.5 mm in thickness, and 2.5-3.0 cm in length.
The male parent of this new variety `Revolutiton Pastelpink` is one petunia plant having white color petal which was selected from twice backcrossing of a wild type of petunia native to Brazil as mother plant and `Recoverer White` as pollen plant. `Recoverer White` is one of the Recoverer Series bred by the SAKATA SEED Corp., Japan. The Recover Series includes `Recoverer Scarletred`, `Recoverer Blue`, and `Recoverer Pink`, and these plants are commonly characterized by a high resistance to rain. The main botanical characteristics of `Recoverer White`, are as follows.
This new and distinct variety of petunia plant, `Revolution Pastelpink`, was asexually reproduced by cutting at the aforementioned Yachiyo Farm of KEISEI ROSE NURSERIES, Inc., and Plant Biotechnology Laboratory, Institute for Fundamental Research of SUNTORY Ltd., and the homogeneity and stability thereof were confirmed.